Fox News contributor Jonathan Hoenig issued what he called a “sincere apology” for his comments on racial profiling and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, reports Mediaite
In comments condemned by the Japanese American Citizens League and many others, Hoenig said last week on Cashin’ In “We should have been profiling on Sept. 12, 2001. Let’s take a trip down memory lane here. The last war this country won, we put Japanese Americans in internment camps; we dropped nuclear bombs on residential city centers. So, yes, profiling would be at least a good start.”
His apology was succinct and to the point.
“I want to issue a sincere apology for my remarks on last week’s Cashin’ In which I believe were unfortunately misinterpreted. The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was completely amoral. I never defended it.”
You can watch his entire apology below.
I appreciate Hoenig clarifying his stance on the incarceration of Japanese Americans, however I still take issue with his justification of religious profiling. While the intent of religious profiling may not be discriminatory, its impact inherently is. Considering someone a suspect merely because of their religion is wrong and should never be deemed acceptable. Profiling a human being because of their religion is hateful.
That’s my take on it. What’s yours? Are you satisfied with Hoenig’s apology?
(note from the editor: After further consideration and a phone conversation with Hoenig himself, I have changed the focus of the last two paragraphs of this post to religious profiling, instead of racial profiling. While Hoenig may or may not agree with this change, I believe it more accurately reflects what he actually said).
RE: Fox News contributors apologizes for comments on incarceration of Japanese Americans: Hoenig specifically talks about ideologically profiling, not racially profiling, yet you continue to suggest just the opposite and accuse him of endorsing racial profiling. Why?
RE: Fox News contributor apologizes for comments on incarceration of Japanese Americans: Don’t disagree with you Jay but how exactly does one profile someone using ideology? Do you ask “everybody” what their ideology is or do you target people who are likely to have a certain “ideology?”
If the answer is the former, then it is no different from not profiling at all. If it is the latter, then how exactly do you identify the group likely to have a certain ideology other than by their race and/or appearance? The problem with profiling of any kind, ideological or otherwise, is that it can only be applied using externally visible characteristics which means it boils down to racial profiling, unintended though it may be.
I just know you’re not suggesting that people somehow be made to wear an external representation of their ideology like a yellow star.
RE: Fox News Contributor apologizes for comments about incarceration of Japanese Americans: “How do you identify a group likely to have a certain ideology other than by their race and/or appearance.”
That is a question of tactics suited for law enforcement. It could be as beneign as identifying the most radical mosques and interviewing some of its leaders. You inference that race is the factor is instantly disproven (most recently) by Tsarnaev Boston Bombing and this week’s Oklahoma beheading.
A much more pertinent question: Why does Badri assume people’s ideology is determined by their race? Isn’t there a term for someone like that?
RE: Fox News Contributor apologizes for comments on incarceration of Japanese Americans: Your willingness to engage in good faith discussion and respond with honorable intentions is admirable and I’m sure appreciated by your entire audience.
RE: Fox News contributor apologizes for comments on incarceration of Japanese Americans: This is a non-apology. He says he was “misinterpreted,” not that he should not have used that analogy. He then says during wartime, use of “profiling by ideology” is justified in wartime, which could be suggesting that he believed Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps for their ideology, which is not true–they were interned solely due to their race, regardless of any individual’s ideology. This is myopic thinking— he cites Japanese American Internment to “illustrate” that “during wartime, profiling based on ideology could be a needed safeguard.” No, Japanese American Internment is not an illustration of how “profiling based on ideology” is needed during wartime, JA Internment is a illustration that during wartime, its very easy to wrongly profile groups of people based on group membership.